Slub catcher



May 31, 1927.

L. B. HASBROUCK SLUB CATCHER Filed July 3,0, 1924 H FTT 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR M y 1927' B. HASBROUCK SLUB CATCHER 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed July so, 1924 INVENTOR Patented May 31, 1927.

LOUIS B. HASBROUCK, OF ELM IRA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 EGLII'SE TEXTILE IDE:

VICES, INCL, OF ELMIRd, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SLUB CATCHER.

Application filed July 3:0,

This invention relatesto slub catchers and aims to provide a simple device foreliminating slubs, bunches and enlargements from worsted and other yarns.

While a device embodying the invention possesses peculiar advantages when used in connection with worsted arns, such a device is none the less well a apted for general use'as a slub catcher.

Worsted and other soft, -long-fiber yarns frequently contain bunches and. other imperfections which, while soft and often only slightly thicker than the normalthickness of the yarn, render the fabrics produced from the yarns imperfect and cause injury to the knitting machines unless they are broken out of the yarn before it is used.

A slub catcher of the type used on cotton arn consistin -usuall of a airof transverse blades providing edges between which the yarn is drawn, .is incapable of removing such bunches and imperfections from worsted yarn. This arises from the fact that such bunches are not caught on the opposed edges of the blades unless the blades are placed so close together that they scrape and injure the yarn. A further difficulty in attempting to use such slub catchers on worsted yarns arises from the fact that such yarns are frequently knotted, and that, if the blades of the slub catcher are set closely enough together to catch even relatively large slubs, the yarn is broken whenever aknot encounters the blades.

tying all the knots in the yarn.

A device constructed in accordance with I my invention serves to break out all bunches and enlargements in worsted yarns and at the same time to permit free passage of small knots in the yarn. Such a. device provides two opposed surfaces between which the yarn is drawn. The surfaces are sepa rated by a distance suflicient to permit free passage of the yarn. Whenever a bunch or enlargement on the yarn enters between the surfaces, the enlargement is confined between the surfaces and brought into frictional contactwith them. The friction thus produced between the enlargement and one of the surfaces is utilized to cause an approaching movement of the surfaces, so that they pinch and break the yarn.

In a device embodyingthe invention in a form which I consider mostdesirable, one of This is a seri-. ous disadvantage, since 1t neoessltates re- 1924. Serial mi. 729,052.

the opposed surfaces is provided by a conical member mounted on a worm which causes it to move lengthwise when it is rotated by frictional contact with an enlargement on the yarn. This lengthwise movement of the conical member causes its conical surface to approach a fixed surface at the opposite side of the yarn so that the tus adapted for use in conjunction with a spooling, winding or other machi'ne,'-and consistlng of a number of units mounted side by side on a supporting bar provided such a machine, and common adjusting mechanism for the units.- Such an appara- 7 tus, embodying the invention, is shown in the accompanying drawings, .in which Fig. 1 is a planview of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a front elevation ofthe'apparatus with part of the adjusting? mechanism 30 sectioned on the line 2-2 of F1 1,; v

Fig. 3 is a side elevation o oneof the units showing the supporting rod and ad-.

justing rod in transverse section;

Fig. 4 is afragmentary elevation sectioned on the line Jr-"4r of Fig.1, and showing parts of the slub catcher of one of the units'in their normal position;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to'Fig. 4 showing the movable/element of the slub catcher positioned to pinch the yarn;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the tension device of one of. the units with-supporting parts I sectioned on the line 66 of Fig. 3;

Fig.7 is a artial sideelevatlon of one of the units, 'ng in the direction opposite from Fig. 3, showingthe adjustable mounting of the tension device of the unit;

Fig. 8 is a partial side view of one of the units, looking. inthe same direction as Fig. 3, showing an adjustment of the tensiondevice different from that shown in-Fig.

The apparatus shown in the drawings includes a plurality of units 10, 10 mounted side by side on a horizontal" rod 11 which 105.

may be part of a spooling or chine in conjunction with whi the units are to be used. 'Althou h only two units are shown in the drawings. 1t will be understood that the number actually used is equal to the 1 number of'yarns which are simultaneously drawn into the spoolin or winding machine. The supporting rame of .each unit includes a horizontal plate 12, secured to the rod 11 by means .of a clamp 13, and a vertical plate 14, which may be formed integral with the plate 12, as shown. To the upper end of the vertical plate 14 of each unit is secured the supporting plate '20 or 24 for guiding the yarn between the fixed and movable elements. The fixedand movable elements 21, 22 are mounted on a'horizontal extension 25 of a supporting plate 20 located at the middle of the lower end of that plate. The fixed element 21 consists of a bent strip of metal having at its lower end a horizontal portion 26, which is secured .to the lower side of the support 25 by means of screws. The mounting of the movable element 22 includes a cylindrical stud 27 journaled 'in a hole 28 in the support 25 and in ahole 29 inahorizontal flange 30 extending from the upper edge of the supporting plate 20, and a worm 31 extending from the upper end of thestud 27 with its axis at one side of the axis of the stud. The journalingof the stud 27 and the eccentric arrangement of theworm 31 are for the purpose of adjustment as hereinafter explained, and during the operation of the slub catcher these parts are held against rotation. The worm 31 contains a helical groove 32 having a steep pitch. A horizontal stop flange 33 is located at the lower end of the worm 31. The movable element 22 has a central hole, by means of which it is journaled on the worm 31, and is provided with a pin 35, whose inner end projects into the helical groove 32. The pitch of the groove in the worm 31 is So steep that the-element 22 can slide down the worm under force of gravity, so that it normally rests i with its lower surfaceon the stop 33.

I smaller end uppermost.

The movable element-22 has the general shape of a cone and is mounted with its gaging surface 36, which is conical, the word conical being used herein in a generic sense to indicate any tapered surface'of revolution. The surface 36 is most desirably knurled or otherwise roughened. The fixed element or strip 21 has its upper portion inclined inwardly toward the axis of the cone 22 to provide a flat yarn engaging surface 38,

It has a yarn-enwhich is opposed to the yarn-engaging surface 36 of the cone, being parallel to a plane tangential to the surface 36, and is spaced from the surface 36 when the cone rests on the stop 33. The edges 37 of the strip 21- at the sides of its surface 38 are rounded so that they cannot scrape or tear the yarn.

By means of the adjusting mechanism hereinafter .described, the yarn-engaging surfaces 36, 38 are set at a distance from each other which is slightly more than the di-- ameter of the yarn to be operated upon. I Inthe operation of the slub catcher, 'a

yarn A, placed under tension by means hereinafter described, is drawn, by winding or spooling mechanism not shown in the drawings, over the thread guide 23, between engaging surfaces 36 and 38, and over the thread guide 24. These guides are so positioned that the yarn is normally just out of contact with the roughened surface 36 and has either no contact or a very light contact with the surface 38. The travel ofthe yarn is, therefore, not retarded by its passage be tween these surfaces.

Whenever a slub or a slight enlargement on'the yarn is drawn between the surfaces 36 and 38, it is confined between these surfaces, so that it comes into frictional, contact with the rou hened surface 36. As the yarn continues to be drawn forward, the frictional engagement between the enlargement on the yarn and the roughened surface 36' causes the portion of the surface 36 in con-.

tact with the yarn to move in the direction of the travel of the yarn. cone 22 in an anti-clockwise direction looki This. turns the ing from the top. As soon as the cone bev I gins to turn, it-rises on the worm 31, bringing its surface 36 closer to the surface. 38 of the fixed element 21, so that the yarn is pinched between these surfaces and broken. The presence of the enlargementon the yarn is thus made evident to the operator, who may break out the portion ofthe yarn containing the enlargement and re-tie the yarn. In this 'way, all slubs and enlargements, including those whose thickness is only slightly dgreater than that of the yarn, are eliminate I When small knots, whose presence on the yarn is'not objectionable, are drawn between the surfaces 36 and 38, they do not turn the cone 22 sufiiciently. to cause it to-pinch the yarn. Such knots, therefore, pass through the slub catcher without breaking the yarn. In order to adapt the device for operation on yarns of different sizes, adjusting means are provided for varying the distance between the surface 28of the fixed element 21 and the surface 36 of the cone 22 when the cone is in its normal position resting upon the stop 33. The adjusting mechanism illustrated provides for the simultaneous adjustment of the slub catchers of all the units which are mounted side by side upon the the supporting bar 11.

The adjusting mechanism includes a vertical bracket fixed to one end'of the supporting bar 11.. Near the top of this bracket is fastened a bearing piece 41, in which is journaled an adjusting nut 42. A screw 43 threaded in a transverse hole in the bearing piece 41 has its inner end 33 in engagement with a circumferential groove 45 formed in the outer surface of the nut 42. A longitu dinally movable adjusting rod 46 has one of its ends screwed into nut 42, and extends through aligned holes 47 in the supporting plates 20 of the slub catchers of the different units. A pin 48 fixed in the rod 46 and projecting through a longitudinal groove 49, in' -a box 50 mounted on one. side of the bearingpiece 41 prevents the rod 46 from rotating about its axis." Blocks-51am adjustably secured on the rod 46 and positioned near each i unit. Each of these blocks carries a pin 52,

. bri 1 p or u'rther therefrom, A very fine adjust-.

which is engaged bya hook 53 at the outer end of an arm 54 projecting radially from the stud 27 of the slub catcher of each unit.-

Simultaneous adjustment of all the slub which causes a longitudinal movementof the rod 46. The rod, acting through the arms 54, turns the-stud 27 of each unit, moving each worm 31 and the cone 22 mounted thereonabout theaxis of the stud 27, 'so as to it'either nearer to the fixed-element 21 ment may be obtained by means of the mechanism described, both because of the threaded connection between the nut 42' and therod 46 and because'the arms 54 are much greaterin len h than the distance between the axis of eac worms of the slub catchers very much less than the corresponding longitudinal movements of the rod 46, makes it possible to provide an enlarged scale 55 on the box 50 to cooperate with the pin 48 on the rod .46 ini'ndicatin'g the gage of yarn for which the apparatus is adjusted.

In order that the apparatus may be used to operate on yarns of different sizes, it is nec-' tal pivot 63, a rotatable tension disc 64 resting on the bed 61, and a tension bar 65 carried by a projection-66 extending laterally from the arm 62. The bed 61 contains slots 61' to permit the escape of any dirt removed stud 27 and the axis of theworm 31' mounted thereon. The latter fact, which results in making the lateral movements of the faces 36 of the cones 22.

from the yarn as it passes between the bed ears 67, drawn against the extension 70 until it slips under the tension rod 65, and is then passed over the thread guides 23,24.

The lower surface of the tension rod 65 lies in substantially the same plane asthe uppersurface of the bed 61, so that, after the tension device is threaded, the yarn is drawnevenly across the upper surface of the bed 61, and then around tension rod 65.

The tension placed on the yarn is adjusted by varying the angle through which the yarn changes its direction in passing across the tension rod 65.-' To reduce the tension, the arm 62 is turned about the pivot 63 so as to increase the angle B between the reach of-the y'arn traveling toward the tension; rod 65 and the reach of the. yarn "travelin away from this rod; (See Figs: 3'and 8 The arm 62 may be held in any adjustedposition by means of ayscrew 72 passing through 'a'. slot 73 in the arm and entering the support ing plate 60. Itshould be noted that such adjustment of the tension does not interfere with the alignment between the upper sur-' face of the plate 61 and the lower surface'of the tension bar 65. 4

- In using the apparatus which has been described, the slub catchers are first adjusted i by means of the nut 42 to the .proper'position for-a yarn of the gage to be used. The tension device of each unit is adjusted to provide the tension desired. on such a'yarn. The units are then threaded in the manner hereinbefore described, and as the yarns arethickness,'this result may be accomplished by so adjusting the slub catchers that only enlargements exceeding this thicknes' s fire pressed into frictional contact with the,sur-

I wish it understood that many changes maybe made in the specifioembodiment illustrated and described without 'de' arting from my invention, the'sc'ope' of whio is'indi'cated in the-claims which follow. I 1

What I claim is 1. A device for eliminating slubs, bunches and enlargements from a traveling 13 8.111, comprising a fixed element and a, movable element having normally spaced opposed.

surfaces between' which the yarnvis drawn,

the movableelementrybeing so mounted that" movement; of its saidisurface .7 in the direc-' tion of thegtravelroffthe-yarn, under the friction thereon-6 nIen'lar ed portion of the yarn, causes the fixed elemen I lar tothe'yarn. I v

2. A device for elimin ating"slubs, bunches and enlargements; from a traveling yarn, comprising a.. turnable element having a curved surface, a'fixedele'mnt having a surface opposed to said curved surface, and

means for' 'guiding the traveling yarn between said surfaces in a direction transverse to the axis .of the turnable element, the

turnable-element being so mounted that a turning thereof, caused by the frictional engagementwithits curved surface of an enlarged portion of the yarn, causes it to move I axially toward the fixed member. I

3. A device for eliminating slubs, bunches and enlargements from a traveling yarn,

I surfaceof. the fixed element in a direction 'transverse to the axis of the conical element, and means for normally positioning the comprising a conical element, a worm mounting for said conical element which con strains it to move axially when turned about its axis, a fixed element having. a surface opposed to the conical surface of said conical element, means for guiding'the traveling yarn between said conical surface and the conical element with, its conical surface spaced from the surface of the fixed element by a distance approximately equal to the diameter of the yarn.

l 4,. A device for eliminating slubs, bunches and enlargementsfrom a traveling yarn, comprising a fixed :worm, a cone mounted thereon and having a roughened conical surfacefa fixed element having a surface opposed to theroughened surfaceof the'cone,

means for guiding a traveling yarn between said surfaces in a direction transverse to the Y axis. of the cone, and-"means for normally positioning the-cone with its roughened surface just out of contact with the yarn.

5. A device for eliminating slubs, bunches and enlargements from a traveling yarn, comprising a fixed worm, a cone mounted thereon, a fixed element having a surface inclined toward the axis of the cone and op.- posed to the conical surface thereof,-means for guiding a traveling yarn between said surfaces in a direction transverse to the axisof the cone, said cone being yieldably urged to turn in such direction that its conical surface is moved away from the surface of the fixed element, and means for arresting such turning ofthe cone when its conical surface move' odily towards n animation perpendicw neeaaee is spaced from ,thelsurface of the fixed element by a distance approximately equal to the diameter of the yarn.

vtherefrom when the cone rests against said stop, and means for guiding a traveling yarn between said surfaces in a line transverse to the axis of the cone. 1

7. A device for eliminating slubs, bunches and enlargements from a traveling yarn, comprising a rotatable stud mounted with its axis vertical, a worm mounted on theupper end of said stud with its axis vertical and 'spacedla-terally from the axis of the stud, a cone mounted on said worm with its smaller end upwards, a fixed element having a surface-inclined toward the axis of the cone, and means for turning the stud about its axis to adjust the distance'between the cone and the fixed element and for retaining the stud in adjusted position,

8. 'A device for eliminating slubs, bunches,

and enlargements from a traveling yarn, comprising a conical element, a Worm mounting for said conical element which constrains it to move axially when turned about its axis, a fixed element having a surface opposed 'to the conical surface of said conical element, and means for guiding a traveling yarn between said conical surface and the surface of the fixed element in a direction transverse to the axis ofthe conical element.

9. A device for eliminating slubs, bunches, and enlargements from a traveling yarn, comprising a worm, a cone mounted thereon, a co-operating element presenting a surface opposed to the conical surface of the cone, means for guiding a traveling yarn between said opposed surfaces in a direction trans verse to the axis of the cone, the cone being yieldably urged to turn in such direction as to separate said opposed surfaces, a stop for limiting such turning of the cone, and means for varying the relative position of the axis of the worm and the said co-operating ele ment to adjust the distance between said opposed surfaces when the cone rests against the stop.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. g

Louis B. HASBROUCKi 

